Royal Castle...
Ben's Cabin...
The room smelled faintly of old paper and ink, mixed with the gentle scent of the blooming flowers just outside the balcony.
Ben sat behind his ornate wooden desk, relaxed yet alert, sipping a warm cup of tea.
Nero perched by the window, her crimson eyes scanning the sky, wings fluttering slightly as she basked in the sunbeam.
The last few weeks had been peaceful—
training, paperwork, and quiet moments spent with Nero, as usual, had become part of his daily rhythm and accompanied him.
Suddenly, the door creaked open.
His butler Harry, dressed in sharp formal attire with a monocle glinting in the light, stepped in with impeccable posture,
holding a thick stack of papers that looked like it could bend steel.
"Your Majesty,"
The butler said in his calm, composed tone.
"The census report you requested has finally arrived."
He walked to the desk and gently placed the mountain of documents before Ben.
Ben raised an eyebrow at the sheer size.
"That's… quite the pile,"
He muttered.
The butler gave a short nod, then continued.
Nid~
"It contains detailed information about every village, town, and border settlement across the Clover Kingdom. It includes population changes, income records, agricultural status, and reports of unusual activity… especially from the outer regions, just as you requested."
Ben leaned forward, now interested.
"Good. Let's see if anything strange has been slipping through the cracks…"
He cracked his knuckles, eyes narrowing slightly with focused intent.
As Nero gave a small chirp from the window, Ben reached for the top of the stack—
ready to uncover whatever truth was buried within.
The soft ticking of a clock was the only sound that accompanied Ben as he flipped through page after page, his eyes scanning, his brows furrowing deeper with every passing minute.
"____"
Three straight hours.
Reports on land disputes.
Unreported settlements.
Missing tax records.
Villages with population booms or mysterious declines.
Ben groaned under his breath and leaned back in his chair, rubbing his temples.
"Ugh… who knew ruling a kingdom would mean drowning in paperwork worse than a sea of mana?"
Across the room, Harry, his ever-curious royal aide, stood nearby with a straight back and raised eyebrows, watching the King with both admiration and growing curiosity.
Since Ben's coronation, there had been a shift in how things were done—
a departure from old ways, from bureaucracy and idle nobility.
His Majesty's decisions were often unorthodox but effective.
And now, Harry was seeing another spark of that very same brilliance unfold.
Ben suddenly rolled open a scroll and dipped his quill, furiously writing something down.
His pace was swift, purposeful, as if he had made a decision that had been simmering in his mind for a while, with clear irritation on his face.
Harry leaned in just a little.
"Your Majesty…?"
Ben didn't answer at first.
"____"
Thud.
He finished writing the final line, then pressed the royal seal onto the parchment with a resounding thud, sealing it as an official royal order.
Then, calmly, he handed the scroll over to Harry.
"Starting today, I'm creating a new official squad. A specialised unit that deals with this madness."
Harry blinked.
"A… new magic knight squad, Your Majesty?"
Ben shook his head.
"No. This one's different. Not fighters. Thinkers. Organizers. Analysts. People who can keep track of every village, town, and border. Census reports, local issues, anomalies… they'll handle it all."
Harry read the name written in clean script across the top of the scroll.
"The Ministry of Home Affairs…?"
Ben nodded.
"It'll fall directly under my command. No nobles. No politics. Just results. They'll be our eyes and ears inside the kingdom while the Magic Knights handle things outside."
Harry's eyes widened.
"That's… quite the change."
Ben gave him a smirk.
"That's the point."
As Harry bowed and left the office with the scroll, Ben leaned back again, letting out a breath.
Sigh~
"____"
His gaze lingered on the ceiling for a second—
Before that, an all-too-familiar voice echoed in his mind like a whisper laced with digital clarity.
[Ding...]
[System Notification: A Hidden Task has been Generated]
[Task: Successfully Establish the Ministry of Home Affairs]
Objective: Appoint suitable individuals, assign responsibilities, and initiate operations.
Reward:
• 330 FP
• 10x Null Void Shades.]
Ben blinked once.
"Null Void Shades… huh. After a long time."
He smirked faintly, tapping his fingers on the table.
The system clearly recognised the importance of what he had set in motion.
This wasn't just a bureaucracy reform—
It was the groundwork for a kingdom-wide intelligence network, something the old regime would never dare attempt.
"Alright then… Let's find the right people."
...
After taking the royal order from Ben, Harry wasted no time.
The seriousness in His Majesty's eyes told him this wasn't just another division—
It was a cornerstone of a new era.
Within the hour, magical communication parchments were dispatched from the royal palace to every Magic Knight squad base.
Sealed with the King's emblem and Harry's personal mark, the letters bore the headline in bold, enchanted ink:
"Royal Recruitment for the Ministry of Home Affairs – A Direct Unit under His Majesty the King"
The notice read:
"All Magic Knights with skills in administration, intelligence-gathering, law, census and internal affairs may apply.
Applicants must have a clean record and the ability to maintain strict confidentiality.
Those selected will be officially discharged from their Magic Knight duties and serve directly under the King.
Perks include: noble status recognition, resource access, direct command operations, and long-term career security."
The royal message created a stir across the squads.
Whispers spread like wildfire:
"A squad that answers only to the king?"
"Wait—they'll be leaving the Magic Knights?"
"Is this the start of a new royal faction?"
At the Black Bull base, Yami read the notice while smoking a cigarette and snorted,
"Heh. The kid's making moves again."
At Blue Rose, Charlotte folded her arms thoughtfully.
"Ben really is serious about reshaping the kingdom…"
"____"
Even at Golden Dawn, William, though visibly tired and worn out lately, set the letter down slowly, his eyes flashing with something unreadable.
The selection process was officially scheduled to take place in three days at the royal palace.
The announcement created waves—not of power, but of possibility.
Unlike most Magic Knight opportunities that valued strength, combat efficiency, or magical might, this was different.
This was for those who thought with their heads, moved with precision, and preferred the quill to the sword.
Across the squads, conversations sparked in quiet corners and common rooms.
Some magic knights whispered:
"I've been stuck at my current magic level for years now… maybe this is my chance to contribute differently."
"I'm not a battlefield type… but paperwork? Strategy? I'm in."
"A squad under the King? Imagine the connections…"
Many who had reached their magical limit, unable to push past their bottlenecks, saw this as a good path forward.
No longer needing to force themselves onto the frontlines, they could serve the Clover Kingdom in a new capacity—
and more importantly, under the direct guidance of the king himself.
And then there were those who always preferred the behind-the-scenes work.
Those who excelled in logistics, census tabulation, communications, filing, investigations, and diplomacy.
This was their moment.
Applications began arriving at the capital by the hour—
Some on enchanted scrolls, some delivered in person, and a few even arriving via magical creatures.
Harry, keeping track of everything, was both surprised and impressed.
"Hah… We might actually have to shortlist people."
Meanwhile, Ben, who had just finished reviewing a weekly political summary, heard the news from his butler and gave a small, knowing smile.
Over the next two days, the palace saw a steady stream of applicants—
All of them were handpicked by their respective squad leaders or recommended by their peers for their exceptional administrative expertise.
There were no rookies.
No wide-eyed fresh recruits.
Every single one of them was experienced, disciplined, and skilled in paperwork, logistics, and will be good for kingdom operations.
Many had served years in support roles—
handling mission records, managing squad inventories, overseeing regional census reports, coordinating with regional officials, and keeping sensitive documents in perfect order.
A few notable applicants stood out:
Roselle Hartmann –
Former Vice-Administrator of the Azure Deer squad's logistics wing.
Known for her photographic memory and speed reading.
She once corrected 137 errors in a squad's budget census report… in a single night.
Cyrus Flint –
A quiet, stern man from the Silver Eagles, who worked in mission classification and rank audits.
Trusted with highly confidential archives.
Some say he never forgets a single word he's ever read.
Minna Grail –
From the Green Mantis squad, an older magic knight with decades of experience in inter-squad coordination.
Known for her calm demeanour and no-nonsense discipline.
Cindy Vale –
A former battlefield medic and strategist who later became a planner for Blue Rose operations.
Her unique blend of field knowledge made her invaluable during border skirmishes.
Thalia Runewood –
A noble by birth, but chose to work in the administrative wing of Coral Peacock rather than use her status for battlefield glory.
She's fluent in multiple languages and handles diplomatic correspondence.
Harry, reviewing their credentials, looked amazed.
Tests would be less about magic and more about decision-making, problem-solving, and understanding the kingdom's structure.
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(Author's POV)
(A/N): Thanks for reading the chapter!
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